- 1. When should I renew my passport?
- 2. How do I make an appointment for passport renewal?
- 3. Can I travel if my passport is less than 6 months valid?
- 4. What if I do not have an email address?
- 5. How do I request to expedite my new passport for immediate collection?
- 6. How can I request an earlier date for passport appointment?
- 7. Can I still renew my expired passport?
- 8. How do I collect my new passport?
- 9. What if my passport is nearing expiry (less than 6 months valid) and I am permanently returning to the Philippines?
- 10. I lost my passport and I am returning to the Philippines
- 11. How to apply for replacement of lost passport?
- 12. How to apply for passport for Newborn infant born in Singapore?
- 13. How to change passport name from maiden name to married surname?
- 14. For newly-married women who opt to retain their maiden name, how to change the civil status from single to married?
- 15. Who should accompany a minor during their passport appointment?
International travel and immigration authorities require that a passport bears a validity of least 6 months to allow entry into their territory. In Singapore, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) requires at least 2 years’ passport validity for work pass renewal.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore recommends that you apply for a new passport about one (1) year before your passport’s expiration date. For considerations such as pass renewal, the depletion of visa or stamping pages of the passport, an application for travel or immigration visa with another country, or for other meritorious needs, the Embassy will allow application for a new passport a year or more before the current passport’s expiration.
Passport Renewal at the Philippine Embassy is strictly by appointment only.
Making the passport appointment
The Embassy enforces an appointment system for the processing of passport applications. Passport renewal appointments can be booked through the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Global Online Appointment System (GOAS) through www.passport.gov.ph
The online system requires your email address, to which the system will send an electronic notice of your appointment date and time (the “confirmation notice” of your appointment). A yahoo or gmail e-mail address is highly recommended.
Can I travel abroad even if my passport is less than 6 months valid?
No. Many foreign governments, including Singapore, require visitors to carry passports with at least six months validity beyond their planned stay, and you may be refused entry if you do not comply. Your passport must be at least six-months valid for you to be able to travel abroad.
However, Filipinos who are currently abroad may travel back to the Philippines even if their passport are less than 6-months valid.
You do not have an email address
If you do not have your own email address or are unable to create your own, you may use another person’s email address to receive the appointment confirmation message and other notices from the Embassy. However, you must indicate your own name and personal details when booking an online appointment.
Expediting the availability of a new passport
The production of a passport is done in the Philippines. The Embassy has no control over the production of a passport or its shipment to Singapore. Hence, the Embassy cannot offer to assist in the expedited production or delivery of a passport. The Embassy can only advise on the expected availability of a new passport for collection, which is four (4) to eight (8) weeks from the passport application date. The Embassy is not liable for delays due to unforeseen circumstances.
Requesting for an earlier date of passport application
The demand for a passport appointment exceeds the Embassy’s daily processing capacity (180-200 applications a day) and appointment slots have been booked weeks and up to 2 weeks in advance. Applicants are advised to book an appointment in the system for the earliest available date, but if there is an urgent need to make the passport renewal at an earlier date, the applicant can request to move the appointment date. The request can be made to the Passport Unit with an email titled “Urgent Need for a Passport” to epassport.sgpe@gmail.com.
The email must include the attached scanned images of the current Philippine passport and the Singapore IC showing the expiration date, the Embassy’s confirmation message for the previous passport appointment, and other documentary proof of the need for an urgent appointment. Applicants may also be asked to provide additional documentary requirements to support their request.
The applicant should propose the date and time for the earlier appointment and state the reason for the request. The Passport Section will provide a viable date and time for the rescheduled appointment.
Expired passport for renewal or travel
Holders of an expired Philippine passport must apply for a new passport. They must follow the regular procedure for applying for a new passport, beginning with making an online passport appointment.
If the holder of an expired passport needs to travel to the Philippines, a request for advice can be made to the Passport Unit with an email titled “Expired passport, need to travel to PH” to epassport.sgpe@gmail.com. The Embassy will issue a Travel Document to the applicant, which is only valid for one-way travel to the Philippines.
If you have done your passport appointment, you can check the availability of your new passport by consulting the “EPASSPORTS READY FOR COLLECTION” checker of the Embassy’s website. Type your surname on the box provided, search results will be listed on the table at the lower portion of the app. To book an appointment for passport collection, please visit this link: https://tinyurl.com/passport-collection. For other passport collection concerns, you may email our consular officers at releasing.sgpe@gmail.com.
Claiming your new passport at the Embassy will require the following:
- The confirmation email of your appointment for collection
- The blue Consular Collection Slip issued at the passport appointment
- The current Philippine passport (to be canceled and returned to the passport owner)
- If the new passport will be claimed by a proxy, original signed authorization letter, and ID with a signature from the passport owner. If the original signed letter is not presented, the new passport will NOT be released to the proxy.
The new passport can be claimed on a date later than the indicated availability date.
However, passports that are not claimed one year after delivery to the Embassy are canceled and destroyed, which is a requirement of Philippine Passport law.
Passport nearing expiration and permanently returning to the Philippines
If the passport is nearing expiration (less than six months validity) and the passport holder will soon return to the Philippines for good, there is no need to apply for a new passport or to extend the validity of the passport.
Filipinos making one-way travel to the Philippines and whose passport is nearing expiry are allowed to purchase a direct airline trip to the Philippines and to enter the Philippines.
Lost Passport and returning to the Philippines
Filipinos who have lost their passport and need to travel immediately to the Philippines can apply for a Travel Document at the Embassy. The Travel Document issued by the Embassy can be used only for direct one-way travel to the Philippines and not for travel to any other country. Filipino tourists in Singapore who have lost their passport may contact the Embassy.
Refer to the Embassy website’s information on the documentary requirements of the replacement of Lost Passport or Mutilated Passport.
Passport of a newly-born infant in Singapore
The Filipino parent(s) of an infant born in Singapore should apply for two consular services on behalf of the infant: 1) the Report of Birth (registering the birth of a Filipino child born outside of the Philippines) and 2) the passport application (Singapore’s ICA will require that the Filipino infant has a Philippine passport at the soonest possible time). The passport application of the child requires making the Report of Birth. These two consular services can be done at the same time.
The request for an appointment for these services can be made to the Passport Section with an email titled “Report of Birth and First Time Application of a child” to civilregistry.sgpe@gmail.com.
Refer to the Embassy website’s information on the documentary requirements of the Report of Birth.
Refer to the Embassy website’s information on the documentary requirements of a passport application of Infants born in Singapore.
Passport of a married woman who wishes to adopt the husband’s surname
Refer to the Embassy website’s information on Amendment of Passport Details.
A parent must accompany a minor during the passport application
A minor (i.e. any person less than 18 years of age) coming to the Embassy for passport appointment must be accompanied by a parent of the said minor. The minor’s passport will not be processed if neither parent accompanies the child. Queries on this matter may be referred to epassport.sgpe@gmail.com.
